Shoe-fastening.



W. A. DUNSTAN.

snos FASTENING.- APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 16, 1907.

PAIENTED MAY 5 1908. v

WILLIAM A. DUNSTAN, OF SUSANVILLE, OREGON.

SHOE-FASTENING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Application filed February 16, 1907. Serial No. 357,706.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. DUNSTAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Susanville, in the county of Grant and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Fastenings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe fastenings, and one of the principal objects of the same is to provide means for opening and closing the ankle portion of a shoe without threading the lacings through eyelets or engaging them with lacing hooks. This and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a lan view of the meeting edges of the ankle opening of a shoe, and showing my fastening in place thereon. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view showing the manner of connecting the lacing rings to the shoe upper. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a modified form of lacing ring. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view showing a still further modified form of lacing ring.

Referring to the drawing for a more particular description of my invention, the numerals 1 designate the two ankle portions of a shoe provided at their meeting edges and at their lower portions with a series of eyelets 3, and above said eyelets secured to the ankle portions 1 is a series of lacing rings 4. The lacing rings are preferably formed of a single strand of wire formed into a loop for the lacing cord and the legs being crossed, as at 5, and extending from the loop in oppositely diverging directions, the terminal ends 6 of said rings being passed through the ankle portion of the shoe and clenched as shown in Upon reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the lacing rings 4 are arranged alternately, that is to say, the rings upon one edge of the ankle portion are secured intermediately of the rings upon the other ankle portion. An ordinary shoe lacing 7 is laced through the eyelets 3, and both members of the lacing brought together and passed through the eyes 4, the two strands of the lacing being secured together by a knot 8 near their upper ends. When it is desired to secure the shoe upon the foot the lacing is pulled upward by grasping the knot 8 until the two strands extend in a straight line through the rings 4. When it is desired to remove the shoe the two members of the lacing are pulled downward below the lower ring 4 when a slight outward pressure upon the two members 1 will separate the same and permit the foot to be withdrawn from the shoe without disturbing the lacing at the lower portion which passes through the eyelets 3.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing I have shown a.

slight modification of the lacing ring. roller a is secured to a cross-bar formed on the ring and permitted to turn thereon as the lacing is drawn through the ring. The diverging legs of the lacing ring are similar to those shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and may be secured in like manner to the upper of the shoe.

As shown in Fig. 4, the lacing ring may be secured to the edges of the material by means of eyelets c passing through loops formed on the ends of the wire. When the lacing is drawn up the knot 8 may be tucked in'between the inside of the shoe upper and the ankle of the wearer to hold the lace in place, or the laces may be untied and connected by a bow knot near the upper lacing ring.

My invention is of simple construction,

can be readily attached to any form of lace shoe, and can be operated quickly to secure the shoe upon the foot or to permit the same to be removed therefrom, and the invention as a whole can be manufactured and applied at slight cost.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

The combination with a shoe of the herein described shoe fastener comprising a series of eyelets secured to the lower portion of the ankle opening of the shoe and a series of lacing eyes secured alternately on opposite sides of said opening above the eyelets, said lacing eyes each comprising a ring formed of a single length of wire, crossed legs extending from said ring and the ends of said legs being bent downwardly and passed through the shoe upper and clenched, said rings being disposed at right angles to the legs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. DUNSTAN.

Witnesses:

HARDY POWELL, JENNIE E. PowELL. 

